TEM studies of the real structure of natural minerals are the heart of the book. The bulk of these data was obtained at the Institute of Solid State Physics and Electron Microscopy AcSc of DDR (now the Max Planck Institute of Microstructure Physics, Halle/Saale, Germany) from 1975 to 1988. In the 1970s, Professor Heinz Bethge established the institute-based the Research Center on Electron Microscopy. A high voltage electron microscope JEM-1000, unique for the time, and later a high resolution electron microscope JEM-100C have been placed at the disposal of many researchers from various countries. In this creative atmosphere of the international cooperation of scientists I was very lucky working several times for 3 month periods during 13 years. These terms proved to be very productive allowing us to get a lot of data on the defect structure of quartz, plagioclases, pyroxenes and other rock-forming minerals. It should be noted that the TEM examination of these minerals had been closely related to solving specific geological problems. These studies would be impossible without a qualified assistance of the members of the Laboratory of High Voltage Electron Microscopy. I have learnt a great deal about an electron microscopy from my German colleagues. Therefore, I owe a particular debt of gratitude to all of them: Dr G. Kästner (chief of the laboratory), M. Barthel, Dr Ch. Dietzsch, the late E. Hunold, Dr H. Bartsch, H.-Ch. Gerstengarbe, Dr D. Hoehl, Dr U. Richter, and Dr D. Baiter.

It is my pleasure to thank Professor Dr D. Hesse and Dr J. Barthel, young specialists in the 1970s, who supported me in many scientific and other problems during my residence in Halle/Saale.

The Max Planck Institute of Microstructure Physics, Halle/Saale,
Germany (former Institute of Solid State Physics and
Electron Microscopy AcSc of DDR): HVEM- and lab-building

I also wish to thank the late Professor Dr H. Bethge and Professor V. Schmidt, Directors of the Institute, during my stays there, and Professor J. Heydenreich, Head of the Center on Electron Microscopy, for the interest in my researches and a permanent support. In particular, I am thankful to the late Professor V. N. Rozhanskii (Russia), whom I owe the possibility to work in the International Center on Electron Microscopy.

I am very grateful to Dr Elzbieta Mizera (Institute of Physics of AcSc of Poland, Warsaw) for her assistance and practical advice during my mastering of high resolution electron microscopy in the 1980s.

The other part of acknowledgements refers to my colleagues geologists who contributed their field experience to the joined geological investigations. These include: DSc L.Sh. Bazarov, Professor V. N. Sharapov, Professor M.P. Mazurov, DSc P.A. Balykin, Professor V. S. Shatskii, the late Professor V. I. Sotnikov and Professor L. V. Alabin; in particular Dr A. N. Distanova (Institute of Geology SB RAS, Novosibirsk, Russia); Professor R.I. Koneev (National University of Uzbekistan, Tashkent), DSc V.A. Kovalenker (IGEM RAS, Moscow) for the highly qualified formulation of geologic problems and the excellent collection of mineralogical samples for TEM studies. I also thank Dr V.N. Korolyuk, S. V. Letov, the late Dr. M.Ya. Scherbakova, and the late L. T Kovaleva (Institute of Geology SB RAS), specialists in physical and chemical methods, for the assistance in the complex investigations of minerals.

In particular, I would like to express my appreciation to DSc A.K. Gutakovskii (Institute of Semiconductor Physics SB RAS) and Professor L.M. Plyasova (Institute of Catalysis SB RAS) for their help in the high-resolution TEM and X-ray studies of mineral samples and contribution to the last publications.

This book in many respects owes its existence to the decision of the Scientific Council of the St-Petersburg’s Mining Institute to award me the degree of Doctor of geological-mineralogical sciences in 1989. The council’s members exhibited the deep understanding and courage in their support of the earlier unknown ideas. I keep forever my gratitude to Professor Yu. B. Marin (The Chairman of the Scientific Council), the late Professor I.I. Shafranovskii, the late Professor D.P.Grigor’ev, the late Professor S.A. Rudenko, Professor V.V. Dolivo-Dobrovol’skii and other members of the Council, and its reviewer G.N. Sal’e.

Special thanks go to my former post-graduated student, now Dr D.B. Karimova, who believed in my ideas and defended excellently her Dr Thesis dealing with gold.

Since 1991 I have been attending the biennial meetings organized by Society of Applied Geology (SGA) with oral presentations. In this connection I thank SGA organizers, first Professor G.C. Amstutz, for attention to the aqua-complex idea and for a financial support of my participating in the 1-VIII SGA Meeting. I am especially thankful to Dr. Jan Pasava who in 1995^th year organized an international reviewing procedure of my papers and constantly helped me to attend the SGA meetings. 

A computer design of the book is made by E. V. Bekreneva. It’s my pleasure to thank her for the creative and skilled work.

L. F. Reimers, T. P. Borozdina and E. G. Berezina edited the manuscript. Therefore, I owe a great deal to them for the present English of the book.